The truth about the roof

Last week was rough. There really is no way to sugar coat it. It was rough for all of us.

We've had some issues with the roof on the house that we thought we could just make do but now it's screaming for attention. In fact, I can't put the house on the market until it gets fixed. Some days it's hard to think we can ever be together again. I know we will, but some times it feels like it's still going to be eternity before we can be together again as a family. Frustrating. I don't understand why it's taking so long to get things done.

I've really struggled this week in so many ways. Monday I was able to fix the sprinkler system again, luckily it was an easy fix, just a bunch of digging which was fun with so many kids. No I just need to have them remember that we don't go digging up the grass just for fun. We've has a problem with that since then.

Monday night we had another guy in the ward come look at the roof. The front of the house appears to still be in really good condition so I think we'll just have to replace the back half of the house, clear down to replacing the plywood. They're estimating the cost at around $2000 for the parts and then get help taking it off and putting it back on. Better than the $7000-10000 that some have said to get someone else to do it but it still isn't good when you don't have the money. I really don't understand why we've struggled so hard with money since we got married. I start feeling like I'm doing pretty good trying to raise 5 kids on the money he's making now, but then when something big like this hits, I struggle. Especially when I stop and realize that Clay should be making about $1000 more a month had he gone in as he should have as an officer. Ugh! My home teacher suggested having a fund raiser like a car wash to try to raise some of the money. I don't know what will happen with that so I guess it's good I didn't cut up all the credit cards. Hopefully we'll be able to make a little off the house and be able to pay it off soon. I hate debt!

Tuesday I took Christina back up to Primary Children's for another ultrasound and to meet with the urologist again. They basically told me that they can't do any more for us and that she probably needed to start seeing a GI doctor as well as a psychologist as it seems to flair up when big stressful things happen in our family (which has been a little too frequent recently). We had an interesting conversation on the way home which I hope helped her but I know we need to get her some help. The psychologist that specializes in her area is up in Tremonton, Utah (about 2 hour drive each way). I've tried to call him to see if he ever has office hours a little closer but hasn't heard anything yet. This might be fun to find a way to get her up there with the other kids too. I need to make more phone calls to see what we can do for her. Not the most positive thing for a mother to go through. We all make mistakes but it's hard feeling like she's so young and struggling so much because of what we've been through.

Tuesday night my sister flew in from Colorado. Her flight was supposed to get in at 10:45 but I think it finally got here about 12:30 am on Wednesday. Christina was a trooper to get up and "watch" the other kids while I ran to pick her up. Then we got up that morning and I took Christina over to the church to leave for her first year of Girl's camp which she loved. She came home Friday night.

It's been a very long week. Clay's bay got in trouble again so they got put back into phase 4 again so he's been not having a very good week either. We're trying to get MCAT and DO school applications in with the hope that the army will allow him to go next fall. We've been told the army really needs doctors so we're hoping that it will go how we would like. His commanding officers are at least a little encouraging and trying to help it seems.

I'm trying to hang in there. Some days it is just so hard to be separated. I'm grateful I can finally say he's coming home NEXT month. That feels so good to say. I can't wait until it's THIS month or better yet NEXT week.

Brother Draper finished patching the front hallway this week for me so Friday an amazing friend knew I was done took 3 of my kids while Samantha took a nap and I was able to get the front hallway primed and painted as well as 2 of the walls in our bedroom. I need to go get more paint tomorrow so that I can finish our bedroom hopefully this week and clean the carpets in there as well. At least at this point it's just a matter of continuing to go through and get rid of stuff. I guess I can almost start packing some things too and put them in the storage room. I still need to fix the water damage in the bathroom in the basement but I need to finish our bedroom first. It is coming together. Hopefully within a couple of weeks we'll have a better idea of where our lives are headed and get things headed in the right direction.

I know I need to remember what's really important (the kids) but it's hard to remember that all the time when there is no one else to pay the bills, repair the house, clean and get rid of stuff, etc. Just a few weeks left until school starts. I need to remember to have fun (and no/little cost) with my kids too. Any ideas?